28 January 2024 , 09:00
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Seb Palmer-Houlden is hoping to help cause a major FA Cup upset when League Two side Newport County host Manchester United this weekend.
Palmer-Houlden is currently on loan at Newport from Bristol City and was a ball boy when the Robins caused a major upset of their own by beating United 2-1 in the quarter-finals of the League Cup in 2017.
The forward was just 13 at the time and saw Lee Johnson's side beat a strong United team that included the likes of Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Paul Pogba and Marcus Rashford thanks to goals from Joe Bryan and Korey Smith.
"That was an amazing feeling, and it shows that anything can happen," Palmer-Houlden told the South Wales Argus. "Pogba, Ibrahimovic, all those players were playing, and good old Korey Smith and Joe Bryan were the goalscorers.
"Cup nights are really special and we’ve shown that we’re strong, we’re resilient and we can win. When they’re all walking in, you could feel a bit overwhelmed but once we get that out of the way, it’s just like any other team.
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"You have to think like that. We definitely want them to bring the stars. We always want to play the best players. But, whoever plays, we’ll put in a performance."
Palmer-Houlden scored the winner for Newport as they beat high-flying Wrexham last Saturday and is full of confidence heading into the game against United. "It was a brilliant atmosphere, and you see right from the kick-off we were straight at them, pressing as high as we can and going into challenges hard," he added.
Palmer-Houlden was a ball boy when Bristol City beat Manchester United in the League Cup back in 2017 (GEOFF CADDICK/AFP via Getty Images)"It was a brilliant shift from the boys. Today meant more to some people than the Man United game will because it’s a Welsh derby. It means so much to the fans and knew we needed to put on a performance for them.
"Everyone had to focus on this game because it was a massive game for us and taking the three points off them is brilliant. Now we can go and think about Man United and what that brings.
"We can focus fully on it and enjoy the week to come. Bring on Man United! I cannot wait for it. It’s a boyhood dream to play a big team like that. The fans will be amazing, and we’ll get this place rocking."